failed compact flash drive

pljvaldez · 06-05-2009, 11:26 PM

A coworker gave me a compact flash drive that had failed on them. I was going to retrieve their photos with photorec by first making a dd image of the drive. However, I am unable to make an image. The response from dd_rescue is the following:

Code:

dd_rescue: (fatal): open "/dev/sdc" failed: No medium found

The syslog spits this out when I plug in the card

Code:

Jun  5 21:16:30 fawkes kernel: [3657313.356485] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] 1006992 512-byte hardware sectors (516 MB)
Jun  5 21:16:30 fawkes kernel: [3657313.356485] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Write Protect is off
Jun  5 21:16:30 fawkes kernel: [3657313.356485] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Mode Sense: 03 00 00 00
Jun  5 21:16:30 fawkes kernel: [3657313.356485] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Assuming drive cache: write through
Jun  5 21:16:30 fawkes kernel: [3657313.356486] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] 1006992 512-byte hardware sectors (516 MB)
Jun  5 21:16:30 fawkes kernel: [3657313.364290] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Write Protect is off
Jun  5 21:16:30 fawkes kernel: [3657313.364290] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Mode Sense: 03 00 00 00
Jun  5 21:16:30 fawkes kernel: [3657313.364290] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Assuming drive cache: write through
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657313.364290]  sdc:<6>sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.893580] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.893580] end_request: I/O error, dev sdc, sector 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.893580] __ratelimit: 11 messages suppressed
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.893580] Buffer I/O error on device sdc, logical block 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.893580] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.893580] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.893580] end_request: I/O error, dev sdc, sector 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.893580] Buffer I/O error on device sdc, logical block 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.903405] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.903405] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.903405] end_request: I/O error, dev sdc, sector 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.903405] Buffer I/O error on device sdc, logical block 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.903405] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.903405] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.903405] end_request: I/O error, dev sdc, sector 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.903405] Buffer I/O error on device sdc, logical block 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.903405] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.903405] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.903405] end_request: I/O error, dev sdc, sector 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.903405] Buffer I/O error on device sdc, logical block 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.903405] ldm_validate_partition_table(): Disk read failed.
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.907421] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.907421] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.907421] end_request: I/O error, dev sdc, sector 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.907421] Buffer I/O error on device sdc, logical block 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.907421] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.907421] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.907421] end_request: I/O error, dev sdc, sector 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.907421] Buffer I/O error on device sdc, logical block 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.907799] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.907809] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.907821] end_request: I/O error, dev sdc, sector 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.907827] Buffer I/O error on device sdc, logical block 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.909300] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.909311] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.909322] end_request: I/O error, dev sdc, sector 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.909327] Buffer I/O error on device sdc, logical block 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.909344] Dev sdc: unable to read RDB block 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.910802] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.910813] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.910824] end_request: I/O error, dev sdc, sector 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.910830] Buffer I/O error on device sdc, logical block 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.911664] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.911664] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.911664] end_request: I/O error, dev sdc, sector 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.911664] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.911664] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.911664] end_request: I/O error, dev sdc, sector 24
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.911664] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.911664] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.911664] end_request: I/O error, dev sdc, sector 24
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.916587] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.916596] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdc] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.916607] end_request: I/O error, dev sdc, sector 0
Jun  5 21:16:31 fawkes kernel: [3657314.916625]  unable to read partition table

I'm pretty sure this is a complete hardware failure. Does anyone know of any tricks to at least be able to make an image? I know with platter hard disks I've sometimes changed out the electronics from a duplicate drive and gotten things to read. But as near as I can tell, there's nothing to really swap out of a CF card.

I hope someone has an idea because I hate losing!

jdkaye · 06-07-2009, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pljvaldez

A coworker gave me a compact flash drive that had failed on them. I was going to retrieve their photos with photorec by first making a dd image of the drive. However, I am unable to make an image. I'm pretty sure this is a complete hardware failure. Does anyone know of any tricks to at least be able to make an image? I know with platter hard disks I've sometimes changed out the electronics from a duplicate drive and gotten things to read. But as near as I can tell, there's nothing to really swap out of a CF card.

I hope someone has an idea because I hate losing!

Yes it does look like a complete hardware failure and I know the feeling about (not) losing

.
Do you get any joy from fsck-ing it? If you solve this one be sure to post the solution.
cheers and good luck,
jdk

onebuck · 06-07-2009, 01:45 PM

Hi,

You're not plugging the 'flash' in a hub are you? Powered or un-powered? If it's a system hub (not external) then how do you have your BIOS setup for the USB?

As for swapping or hardware repair of a USB Flash your not really going to have access to the internals of the chip. Unless it's a surface mount passive device failure, i.e. cap or resistor then your only option would be to get that dose of microbots out an insert them into the chip to do their work.

All kidding and scfi aside. It seems your so sH*t out of luck.

pljvaldez · 06-07-2009, 09:44 PM

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I'm pretty much SOL. I checked the card using a camera, a 14 in 1 card reader, and a laptop with a built in compact flash port. All of them return something like "No medium found" or "please insert disk"...